


The Birds Can't Breathe

by ViceCaptain



Series: The Daily Prompt Archive [1]
Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment RPF
Genre: Daily Prompts, Hinted Period-Typical Homophobia, I just think it would work out, M/M, The Nice Guys AU, Unbetead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-17
Updated: 2021-02-17
Packaged: 2021-03-13 06:02:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29521974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ViceCaptain/pseuds/ViceCaptain
Summary: Other than Watcher, what's your favorite fandom? What's a fandom you've always wanted to see a crossover with, or a universe you think the boys would be cool in? Write a short (>1K) fic giving us your ideas!
Relationships: Ryan Bergara/Shane Madej
Series: The Daily Prompt Archive [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2185821
Comments: 4
Kudos: 11
Collections: Shyan Shipping Society Daily Prompts





	The Birds Can't Breathe

**Author's Note:**

> So, I had been wanting a Nice Guys AU since forever because it's a lot of fun and I think it would work pretty well (even though The Nice Guys is already ripe with content and it's all good stuff XD). Anyway, I didn't change too much, I just tried to imagine the boys inserted into the story of the movie (I even inserted Holly as she is because I just love that kid ok?). I hope you will find it cute :3 
> 
> Also. If you hadn't watched The Nice Guys go watch it 8V like now 8V (you will thank me u.u)

Shane parks his car in front of the restaurant, wondering if the mall Santa on the front isn’t cooking in his costume while he jingles his bell in the afternoon Los Angeles sun. Eh eh, jingles his bell.

He tosses his keys to the valet and strides past the cheap plastic Christmas tree. It violently clashes with the Mexican theme of the restaurant, but you can’t stop Father Christmas.

“Where is he?” he asks Holly as soon as he walks in.

She’s giggling to herself and nursing a candy cane, she uses it to point at the bar with a knowing smirk. Apparently she’s already got used to babysit not just her father but his new partner too.

Which has him thinking about what to do with Ryan in the future and also how to deal with his feelings for him.

Ehi, you do not get shot at for a whole week without bonding. Especially when you both are fuck-ups that got kicked in the balls by life. And Ryan sure is looking the part right now, his broad shoulders hunched over while he takes a swig of tequila right from the bottle. They had lost big time for their first case, uh?

Look at that loser. Shane smiles affectionately to himself: he’s his loser tho.

Well, he yet has to even propose they could work together, to admit he’s gay for him will take some work on both their parts. God knows they had been shoved deep inside the closet growing up.

Hell, he even got married and spawned a daughter. And now here he is, embracing his midlife crisis. And being spurred on by his daughter too, because Holly has been quite… Vocal about the idea of her father and Ryan parting ways.

Holly has accepted Ryan and whatever is going on between him and Shane much quicker and in a more mature way than they could hope to manage from the top of their triple-her-age ages.

Shane steps closer and sits at the bar as well, he orders a drink like five in the afternoon is the perfect time for scotch. Then again, he’s used to sip on it to wash down cereal in the morning, so yeah.

He takes his shades off and turns to look to his partner. He’s getting sloshed, if he’s not already.

“Have you seen the tv?” Ryan asks, voice low, raspy, eyes studying him from head to toes.

Is he checking him out? To be honest, Shane IS wearing a new suit. And he looks fine, if he says so himself.

“Yeah, I saw,” he replies.

“They’re gonna let them off… not enough evidence of collusion, they said.” Ryan is slurring the words.

Yup, he’s drunk. Shane sighs, the little guy likes to appear rough and cynical or whatever tough guy act he tries to put up, but he cares more than anyone else. About every fucking thing. He literally takes everything to heart even if he won’t admit it.

“The sun went up, the sun went down. Nothing changed. It’s exactly as you said.” Ryan adds, sounding both bitter and hurt by the ‘harsh reality’ that Shane presented to him in those days.

It’s enough to make Shane want to slap himself for saying such contemptuous shit.

“Yeah, I know. They will get away with this. Big surprise, uh? But whatever, man. Five years top, we’ll be driving Japanese electric cars anyway.” Shane tries to reason, “Mark my words.”

He lifts his index finger, like he’s professing such words of wisdom. Ryan watches him and nods absentmindedly, always ready to put up with his bullshit.

Shane moves to pull up the tip of his tie.

“Look at this,” he starts, catching Ryan’s attention to try and distract him from his self-pity, “Did you ever see a bad-breath tie?”

Shane breathes on his tie and then shoves it to Ryan’s face, “You do it, now”

Ryan is already chuckling to himself but complies, before he starts wheezing with laughter while Shane crumples his tie between his fingers, a dopey smile on his lips while he watches his partner laugh helplessly.

“Yeah, thought so. It works every time with Holly.”

They exchange a fond look. It’s brief and Ryan can’t linger in it too long because he surely feels raw and exposed, his defenses lowered in front of Shane.

“Ehi, nobody got hurt!” Shane adds jovially, trying to make Ryan feel even better. He wants that smile to stick to his pink lips, okay?

“Lots of people got hurt,” Ryan points out.

“They died quickly! They didn’t… _got hurt._ ”

Shane sighs again. Fine, Ryan wants to play hard to get? Well, he still has a trump card to play.

“Look at this,” Shane mumbles and pulls out the ad he cut from the yellow pages, he slides the piece of paper over.

The ad shows their faces and reads ‘Nice Guys Agency’. Granted, the art is what it is, it’s not like they can afford someone… Good. Shit’s expensive.

“I’m sorry you look, uh.” Shane tries.

Ryan takes a closer look, squints at the page.

“I look white.”

“We already got our first case.” Shane prompts, trying to deflect the other’s attention.

But Ryan is smiling at him, fondly. His hand inches closer to shyly touch Shane’s, trying to make it look accidental while he gently grazes their picture. Even more shyly he tangles their pinkies together… Holly has totally rubbed off on him.

“Tell me about the case, Shane.” Ryan says, eyes sparkling with that hopeful light and Shane is evermore baffled that _he_ could make the other look like that. But when he sees that, Shane wants to hope and believe as well.

“The first of many. If you… Will have me, uh. Us, will you have…” A family? Our family?

“Yes.”


End file.
